In this end-of-the-week edition of NWSL News of Note…
- The Kansas City Current have signed forward Nichelle Prince to a new two-year contract that should keep the Canadian international in teal through at least the 2026 NWSL season.
- The Houston Dash, which is currently without both a head coach and a non-interim general manager, have retained two rookie players via new contracts: Defender/midfielder Avery Patterson and midfielder Kiki Van Zanten.
- However, the Dash will not have the services of Swedish international midfielder Elin Rubensson, who departs Houston after one season.
Kansas City Current: Canadian forward Nichelle Prince re-signs through 2026 with option for 2027
On Thursday, the Current announced that forward Nichelle Prince has signed a new two-year contract that should keep her in Kansas City through the 2026 NWSL season. The contract also include a “mutual option” for 2027. (press release)
Before the start of the 2024 season, The Current acquired Prince by trading fellow forward Cece Kizer to the Houston Dash. (January press release) Prince’s then-existing contract expired at end of the 2024 season (November 2021 press release).
Prince missed the start of the 2024 season due to a calf injury sustained during the Concacaf W Gold Cup (Canada Soccer press release), but appeared in everyone of the Current’s 12 post-Olympics match, starting eight matches while scoring two goals and registering two assists. (NWSL game log)
Prince has been a regular call-up to the senior Canada Women’s National Team since December 2015, with 109 caps and 16 goals. She has been on three Olympic rosters, winning bronze in 2016 and gold in 2021, and two FIFA Women’s World Cup rosters. Prince was also a core member of Canadian youth teams, playing in the 2012 U-17 WWC and, on home soil, in the 2014 U-20 WWC. (Canada Soccer profile)
Prior to the NWSL, Prince played NCAA soccer at Ohio State (player profile, incomplete stats).
Houston Dash: Rookie Avery Patterson extends through 2027 season
On Thursday, first-year Avery Patterson was re-signed by the Dash via a three-year contract that will expire after the 2027 NWSL season. While officially described as a defender in the re-signing press release, Patterson has also been used as wide midfielder by the Dash.
In her rookie season, Patterson started 24 regular season matches. Her first professional goal came in the last match of the season, against Bay FC. (NWSL game log)
Before turning professional, Patterson played NCAA soccer for the North Carolina Tarheels, starting all 95 of her matches while scoring 32 goals and registering 16 assists (UNC profile).
Patterson has attended several United States youth camps and played in the 2022 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship, where she scored four first-half goals against Puerto Rico (U.S. Soccer match report).
Houston Dash: Kiki Van Zanten signs new two-year contract with option for 2027
On Friday, the Dash announced the re-signing of a second rookie: Midfielder Kalyssa “Kiki” Van Zanten, who missed most of the 2024 season due to a left foot injury. Her new contract runs through the 2026 NWSL season and includes a “mutual option” for the 2027 season. (press release)
Van Zanten’s rookie season ended after four appearances when her left foot was injured in an April 12th match against the Washington Spirit (April 20th press release).
Van Zanten played five seasons of collegiate soccer for Notre Dame (player profile). She appeared in 95 matches, scoring 27 goals and registering 9 assists.
Van Zanten plays international soccer for Jamaica and was a member of the Reggae Girlz’s squad for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She has at least one senior international goal, which was the extra-time game-winner in the Third-Place match at the 2022 Concacaf W Championship. (Wikipedia bio)
Previously, Van Zanten was a United States youth international, attending over 15 camps at the U-15, U-16, and U-17 levels. She also played in the 2016 Concacaf Girls’ Under-15 Championship for the United States.
Kiki’s younger sister Amelia “Mimi” Van Zanten is a sophomore defender for the Florida State Seminoles (player profile). Mimi attended several United States youth camps before switching to Jamaica.
Houston Dash: Elin Rubensson departs after “mutually agreed” contract termination
On Friday, the Dash also announced that Swedish midfielder Elin Rubensson is departing the Dash after both parties “mutually agreed to terminate her contract” (press release).
Rubensson joined the Dash via a trade from Damallsvenskan side BK Häcken in March. Her contract with the Dash was through the 2025 NWSL season. (March 13th press release)
Rubensson had 15 appearances and 12 starts during the 2024 regular season for the Dash. Her last match was on September 28th. (NWSL game log) According to at least one October availability report, Rubensson had an unspecified “illness” (x.com post).
In January, Rubensson received the Diamantbollen Award as the best women’s player in Sweden for the 2023 calendar year (SvFF article).
The 31-year-old Rubensson is married and has one child, who was born in December 2020 (SvFF article).
Rubensson has 89 senior international caps for Sweden and has scored four senior international goals. (SvFF profile) She has been a member of three FIFA Women’s World Cup squads (2015, 2019, 2023) and won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics with Sweden. Her most recent caps for Sweden came in April 2024.
For additional recent player signings, see “NWSL News of Note, Players Edition: Claire Emslie, Penelope Hocking, Maddie Moreau, Hanna Glas, and Hannah Stambaugh all extend; Carrie Lawrence retires; Ouleye Sarr on SEI List”.
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